Quips, queries, and querulous quibbles from the quirky mind of Don Kahle

Oregon Should Bridge Its Digital Divide

Oregon prides itself — and rightfully so — for its ability to color outside the lines. The lines that divide modern Oregonians are dotted, but very real. Our leaders should be thinking about ways to color not outside these dotted lines, but above them.

The dotted lines — our urban growth boundaries — produce real consequences in people’s lives. Oregon’s largest urban centers are struggling to meet housing demands. Smaller towns and rural areas have housing to spare, but not all the services that many people require.

Supply and demand for housing is out of whack everywhere in Oregon. We have the right people and we have the right places. They just don’t match up as well as they used to. Population centers have too much demand. Everywhere else has excess supply. Statewide rent control won’t solve these problems. Here’s what will.

Our leaders in Salem should use the efficiency of a single payer to provide something that every Oregonian wants — universal coverage. I’m not referring to health care.

Give every Oregonian a reliable, high-speed Internet connection and Oregon will find a new equilibrium, naturally. We have some of the most inspiring landscapes in the world, and we’ve been attracting those who love those landscapes for generations.

The tech world is poised for a revolutionary upgrade over the next couple of years. Fifth generation (5G) devices will dramatically boost connection speeds. Oregon can seize this opportunity and become the first 5G-ready state. Universal wifi coverage will lure residents away from overcrowded areas, boosting our rural economies.

Work centers will spring up in out-of-the-way places like Oakridge and Florence. Telecommuting will accelerate everywhere, reducing traffic across the state. More of our citizens will live where they want, doing work they enjoy, near others who are doing the same.

There are dozens of ways that government could accomplish universal coverage. I won’t pretend to know the best way to accomplish the goal, and legislators shouldn’t either. They need only let it be known that Oregon is ready to be first to give all its residents a fast, reliable Internet connection, without regard to income or ZIP code.

How would Google meet that need — how fast, how much, and how soon? Will Elon Musk and other futurists propose a different path to the same goal? How will local entrepreneurs network together to reach the outskirts across the state? Should wilderness areas be exempted from coverage or limited in other ways?

That’s a conversation that should engage every Oregonian, and attract some of the world’s top tech titans. What minimum standards should be guaranteed? What remedies will be required for poor performance? What will it cost and how will it be paid?

Oregon is animated by large concepts, creative solutions, and courageous leadership. The Rural Electrification Act of 1936 played an important role in ending the Great Depression. More importantly, it bettered people’s lives in ways they hadn’t dared to hope.

The Internet is as essential today as electricity was a century ago. Oregon needs to bridge the digital divide more urgently than any other state, so we shouldn’t hesitate to lead.

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Don Kahle (fridays@dksez.com) writes a column each Friday for The Register-Guard and blogs at www.dksez.com.